Transformer connector



Oct. 1l, 1960 Filed July 28, 1958 f' 30 f I IIHIIII,

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INV ENTOR.

United States Patent TRANSFORMER CONNECTOR Edward S. Cornell, Jr.,Westport, Conn., assigner to Penn-Union Electric Corporation, Erie, Pa.,a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed July 28, 1958, Ser. No. 751,343

4 Claims. (Cl. 339-149) The present invention relates to electricalconnectors, and more particularly to a novel connector especially usefulin association with transformers.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a noveltransformer connector which is of compact, rugged and economicalconstruction and whereby an improved connection may be obtained with awire or cable.

A more specilc object of the present invention is to provide a noveltransformer connector having a compact and rugged hollow main bodymember and a pressure pad or complementary clamping member disposedwithin the body member, which members are constructed so that each maybe economically formed in one piece and so that they may be readilyassembled with each other.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following description and accompanying drawingswherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a transformer connectorincorporating features of the present invention assembled with a tappedWire or cable;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional View taken generally along line 2--2 inFig. l;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along line 3 3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional View taken generally along line 4 4 inPig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 4 but shows the manner inwhich the clamping member may be assembled within the main body memberof the connector; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the pressure pad or clamping memberof a connector incorporating features of the present invention.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings wherein like parts aredesignated by the same numerals throughout the various figures, aconnector 10 incorporating features of the present invention comprises amain body member 12 which may be formed from aluminum, copper, brass orany other suitable electricity conducting metal or material. The bodymember 12 is assembled with an elongated insulator 14 formed fromceramic or other suitable insulating material. referably the insulatoris provided with a circular ecess 16 in `one end thereof defined by anaxially extending peripheral flange 18, which recess receives a circularend portion 20 of the body member 12 that is connected with theremainder of the body member by a reduced diameter neck portion 22. Theinsulator is provided with an axially extending central bore 24therethrough. The bore 24 snugly receives an internally threadedcylindrical extension 26 projecting from the end portion 20 of the bodymember so that the body member and insulator will be located inpredetermined relationship.

An elongated rod 2S extends through the bore of the insulator. The rodmay be brazed `or similarly connected to a transformer, not shown, andto the extension 26, but in the embodiment shown, the rod has a threadedrice end portion 30 turned into the cylindrical extension 26 forproviding an electrical and mechanical connection between the rod andthe body member 12. An opposite end portion 32 of the rod extendsoutwardly of the insulator 14 and is also threaded for accommodating anut 34 or the like which may serve to mechanically and electricallyconnect the rod 28 and thus the connector 10 to a transformer, notshown. When this is accomplished the rod 28 serves to mechanically andelectrically connect the body member 12 with the transformer.

The end portion 2d) `of the body member 12 is provided with an annularrecess in which a washer 36 of plastic or other suitable material ispositioned. The washer 36 provides a seal between the opposing end facesof the insulator and the body member for preventing the passage ofmoisture `or other foreign material into the central bore of theinsulator. As shown in Fig. 1, a projecting linger or tab 3S extendsfrom an integral junction 4with the end portion 20 through a suitablenotch formed in the axially extending ange 1S of the insulator. The tab38 serves to prevent relative rotation between the insulator and thebody member 12 and also serves to provide a predetermined spark gapbetween the exposed metal portions of the connector and the housing of atransformer, not shown.

A main section 40 of the body member 12 is provided with an aperture 42extending transversely therethrough. In addition an axially extendingaperture or bore 44 is provided which opens at the end of the bodymember opposite from the insulator and which intersects the aperture 42.As indicated, for example, in solid lines in Fig. 1 a tap wire or cable46 may be assembled with the connector 10 by inserting it through theaperture 42. lf desired, a tap wire or cable may be assembled with theconnector by inserting it into the axially extending aperture or bore 44as indicated in broken lines in Fig. l. It will be appreciated that thebottom surfaces of the circular apertures or bores 42 and 44 provideright angularly disposed elongated and contoured or arcuate wireaccommodating seats for promoting a more effective mechanical andelectrical connection between the connector and a wire.

The connector 10 also comprises a clamping member 48 having rightangularly disposed legs 50 and 52 adapted to be located in thetransverse and axially extending apertures or bores 42 and 44respectively. The legs 50 and 52 respectively present elongated andtransversely contoured `wire accommodating seats 54 and 56 directlyoppositely disposed from and substantially coextensive with the seatsprovided by the lower surfaces of the bores 42 and 44. In order to shiftthe clamping member 48 so as to clamp a wire between a pair of opposedseats, a screw 58 is provided. The screw 58 is turned through aninternally threaded aperture 60 in the body section 40. A reduceddiameter end portion 62 of the screw is rotatably disposed in anaperture 64 formed in the clamping member leg 50 at the intersection ofthe longitudinal axes of the leg portions 50 and 52. A terminal end ofthe screw portion 62 is upset as indicated at 66 for interconnecting thescrew with the clamping member 48.

In accordance with an important feature of the present invention, themembers 12 and 48 are of compact rugged construction and are formed sothat each may be economically produced in one piece and so that they maybe quickly and easily assembled with each other. More specifically, aslot 70 is formed in the body member 12 at a junction between the bores42 and 44 as shown in Figs. l, 4 and 5. The slot is provided 4with awidth slightly greater than the thickness of the clamping member 48 sothat a portion of the clamping member may pass therethrough duringassembly of the clamping member with the body member. As illustratedbest in Fig. 5, the slot or recess 7@ is formed and located so as toprovide sufiicient clearance forv the clampingV member 48 to enable theclamping member to be assembled with the body member by first insertingthe leg por-tion 50 into theV bore 42 and through slot 7G and thenturning the clamping member through the position shown in Fig. and tothe position Shown in Fig. 4. After the clamping member is fullyassembled within ythe body member, the reduced diameter end of the screw5S is inserted into the aperture 64 and peened over or upset. It will beappreciated that without the `slot or recess 70, the width between theopposite Sides of the bore Y42 `is less than the distance between oneside surface lof the leg portion 52 of the clamping member anda remoteend of the leg portion 50 so 'that the clamping member could not beassembled within the body member. In other words, the lengthsY of thewire accommodating seats or surfaces provided by the members 12 and 48are relatively long as compared with the diameter of the largest wirewhich may be accommodated by the connector and therefore the lengths ofthe clamping member legs are such that the clamping member cannot beinserted into the bores 42 and 44 without Ythe provision of the abovementioned recess or slot.

While the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been shownand described herein, it is obvious that many structural details may bechanged without departing from the spirit and scope of the appendedclaims.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. A transformer connector comprising a body member of electricityconducting material, an insulator associated with said body member andhaving an axially extending end flange dening a recess, said body memberincluding an end portion disposed in said recess, said insulator havingan axially extending bore therethrough, an electrical conductorextending through said bore and connected with said body member endportion, said body member including irst and second angularly disposedbore means therein respectively partially defined by elongated angularlydisposed wire accommodating seats, said second bore means intersectingan intermediate portion of said first bore means, a one piece clampingmember including angularly disposed first and second leg portionsrespectively shiftably disposed in said first and second bore meansoppositely from said seats, said leg portions Y 2. A transformerconnector comprising a one piece body member `oi electricity conductingmaterial, an electrical insulator having a bore therethrough anddisposed with an end thereof associated with one end of said bodymember, an electrical conductor extending through Said bore andconnected with said one end of the body member, substantially rightangularly disposed first and second bore means in said body member andextending substantially transversely and axially of said body member andrespectively partially defined by elongated angularly disposed wireaccommodating seats, said second bore means intersecting substantially amid portion of first bore means, a one piece clamping member includingsubstantially right angularly disposed first and second leg portionsrespectively shiftably dispo-sed in said first and second bore meansoppositely from said seats, said second leg portion extending from asubstantially mid section of said first leg portion, said leg portionshaving lengths greater than diameters `of said bore means, recess meansin said body member at a junction between said first and second boremeans and providing clearance for enabling said one piece clampingmember to be assembled within said bore means, and screw means connectedwith said members for relatively shifting said members for clamping awire therebetween.

3. A connector comprising a body member yof electricity conductingmaterial, first yand second angularly disposed bore means in said bodymember and respectively partially defined by elongated angularlydisposed conductor accommodating seats, said second bore meansintersecting an intermediate portion of said first bore means, a onepiece clamping member including angularly disposed first and second legportions respectively shift ably disposed in said first and second boremeans oppositely from said seats, said second leg portion extending froman intermediate section of said iirst leg portion, recess means in oneof said members for enabling said one piece clamping member to beassembled within said bore means, and screw means connected with saidmem bers for relatively shifting said members for clamping a conductortherebetween.

4. A connector, as defined in claim 3, wherein said first and second legportions have lengths greater than diameters of said first and secondbore means, and said recess means is in said body lmember at a junctionbetween said first and second bore means.

Lee a Mar. 12, 1935 Rowe lune 21, 1938

